Harry bradley rowan



H. B. ROWAN.

HANDBAG. APPLICATION FILED APR. 14, I920.

Patented 001i. 5, 1920.

7 M, Ban A, WT

UNITED STATES HARRY BRADLEY ROWAN, OF NORTH ATILEBORO, MASSACHUSETTS,

WRITING 8c DAVIS COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YO;

HANDBAG.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 5, 1920.

Application filed April 14.1920. Serial No. 373,688.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY Banner Rowan, a citizen of the United States, residing at North Attleboro, in the county of Bristol, State of Massachusetts, have in vented certain new and useful Improvements in Handbags; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appcrtains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to hand bags or mesh bags of the type used by ladies to carry money. tickets and small articles and consists essentially in a new and improved method of attaching the flexible handle, which is usually'nnnle of woven wire, to the frame work of the bag.

lt has heretofore been proposed to fasten the flexible handle to the bag by inserting it in a socket element which is rigidly attached to a bail, which in turn is rigidly attached to the frame work of the bag. Any swinging of the bag with relation to its handle is, with such a construction, taken up by the bending of the handle itself inasmuch as the other parts are quite rigid. The continual repetition of this bending as the bag is swung during walking and during the ordinary use of the bag, causes a pronounced weakening, with the possibility of breakage of the flexible handle near the point where it is attached to the bag.

It. has also been proposed to pivot the socket, in which the handle is inserted, to the hail, the bail in this instance also being rigidly attached to one of the. frame members of the bag. Such a construction remedies this difiiculty to a certain extent, but it still presents a number of mechanical ditliculties which are overcon'ic by my improved construction. \Vith this proposed construction, that is where the flexible handlc is mounted in a socket pivoted to a rigid hail, the top of the bail must necessarily be straight and horizontal in order toprovidc a suitable mounting for the hinge or pivotal axis of the pivoted socket. This neces sity results in an undesirable limitation in the. design of the bail, which is of great importance in an art where it is so necessary to please the .eye of the feminine user.

My improved construction contemplates the provision of a pivoted bail, in place of the former rigid bail, whereby the continual swinging of the bag is taken up by the swinging of the bail about its ivot. With the bail pivoted it is then ossi lc to attach the socket in which the exiblehandle is mounted rigidly to the bail which is a distinctly cheaper and sturdier construction than the former one where the socket not only served to mount the handle, but also had to have a hinge at its lower edge to rather than on the lighter handle-carrying socket. This ives a wider and stronger bearing, both ecause it would be impractic/able to make the handle-carrying socket as Wide as is possible with my bail. or to make it of as heavy metal as the bail because either of these changes would spoil the proportions and neat appearance of the )ag.

The pivotal axis of the pivoted bail, is in my improved construction, positioned a little way below the ball catch or other fastening element that may be used to hold the two parts of the frame work together, so that the fastening device is positioned infihe space formed by the side IDQIHl'JPIS,O ntlie bail and is covered or uncovered as the bail assumes various positions on its pivot. With my improved pivoted bail, not only is a more eflicient and stronger mechanical structure provided, but also one in which the design ismgraceful and pleasing to the eye, which has been mentioned, is quite important in an article of this charactor. The outstanding feature of the iniprovcd design is that the sides of the bail are formed along upwardly converging lines. instead of having more or less vertical sides and a flat top.

I use in my improved construction, a rather short, broad and sturdy bail post. which fulfils two important functions. It carries the pivotal axis or pivot pin of the bail and provides afirm and reliable support for-this axis; it also makes possible the use of a heavy strong pivot pin forthc bail. Inasmuch as the Whole weight of the bag is carried on this pivot pin, it should he made unusually strong, and absolutely reliable.

In addition to the features just described, the bail post is provided with a catch or socket with which a latch. member from the other side of the bag engages to hold the hag closed.

The improved construction of my hail mounting will now he described in detail. after which a number of other advantages will he more readily apparent and will he pointed out below.

Referring to the drawing which represents a preferred embodiment of my invention,

Figure 1 usual form, provided with my hail mounting;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side view of the mounting: and

Fig. 3 is a sectional-view of the same taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

In the drawing, the fabric or mesh of the hag is indicated at 1, which is joined by the well known fastening spiral wire 2. to a pair of substantially U -shaped metallic frame elements 3 and 4. hinged together as is usual at 5. The frame elements 3 and. 4 are substantially flat and fit together to form a closure for the bag.

()ne of the frame elements, such a 3. provided with a hail post (i which is rigidly attached to it. The hail post may he either integral with the frame element 3 or it may be soldered or hrazed on. This post is pref erahly of heavy and sturdy construction, for reasons that will he apparent below.

The hail post (3 has synnnetrical laterally extendin portions 7 and an upper portion 8 which is provided with a groove 2). In order to provide a passage for a pivot pin, the hail post has drilled in it. through the laterally extending portions 7, a hole ll), in which hole is positioned the pivot pin ll. The hail indicated at 12. is provided with a pair of relatively wide hearings 13, that engage with the pivot pin 11 to form a swiveled mounting for the hail. The parts are shaped and finished so that a neat and pleasing appearance is presented. The hail 12 is. for the purpose of pleasing the eye. prefcrahly made of the shape shown in Figs. 1 and 2. that is, with the two sides of the hail converging upwardly, although, of course. it may he. made in other shapes.

Attach d to the upper part of the hail is a sheet metal socket element 14, which is rigidly fastened thereto. In this socket H is mounted in any desired manner, a llexi hlc handle 15 which may he of woven wire or other suitahle material.

The other frame element 4 is provided with a fastening device of a well known construction and comprises the spring arm is a side view of a hand hag of improved 16 which is rigidly attached at its lower end to the frame 4 and which is provided with a more or less horizontally extending portion 17 which is provided with the hall or fastening pin 18. and. if desired, an ornamental stone W. The parts just de scribed are so designed that when the hag is closed the hall 18 snaps into the groove J and is held there by the resilienc of the parts 16 and 17 as is well known. The parts are also preferahly so designed that the hail swings over and inst clears parts 1o. 17 and .l-l as shown in the dotted line positions A. B and C, Fig. I).

It is an important feature of the invention that the pivot pin it is hclow the fas tening clement. so that the pivoting of the hail takes place about an axis which is helow the point of engagement of the hall 18 and its groove. with such a conslructipn, it is apparent that the hail 12. socket H and handle 1:) may swing around in an arc of at least 180" ahout the pivot pin ll. some of the possihlc positions heing shown in full and dotted lines in Fig. 3.

Further advantages of this construction will now he more fully described.

In the first place. with a construction in which the hail is rigid with the frame. an accidental hlow against the hall l8 would tend to unlatch the hag. \Vith my improved construction. however. an accidental hloW against the hall 18 would simply tend to make the hag swing with respect to its handie so that the handle would assume the position as shown in the dotted line position A. Fig. 3, and there would he much less likelihood of accidental uni'astcning on this account.

lVhile then. the hag is not so readily unlatched accidentally. it may, under certain. conditions. he very readily unlatched with one hand, whereas previous constructions in which the hail is rigid are only unlatched with one hand with considerable dilliculty. This feature. is of practical value where the person who wants to open the hag has her other hand full of parcels. in order to open the hag using only one hand. the user holds the handle in the position shown in dotted lines ll. Fig. ii, the handle 15 heing horizontal and in the palm of the hand. with the index finger below the handle and against the. hail post 6, whereupon the thumh may he engaged against the hall lH. in such a position. the hall 18 will he un overed and the portion 3 of the frame will he held rigidly hy virtue of the handle ll heing in the user's hand. if now the lhumh is pressed against the hall ill, the hag is readily unlatched.

Another advantage of my improved cow stl'uction is that if it is desired to make the hag donhly safc against opening. the hail may he swung around to the position shown in the dotted position Fig. 3 and held there. so that the bail It! swings over the parts I; and 11' of the latrhing, arm. in which position. it will be apparent that even if the ball 18 should become disengaged from its groove. the bag (-onld open only a very small amount so that nothing would he lost.

It is desired to call partieluar attention to the mounting of the pivotal axis on \vhieh the bail is pivoted or swiveled. The llared parts 7 of the bail post provide a wide. strong, mounting for the pivot pin ll; both the bail post and the portions T are of heavy and thick metal and so permit the use of a comparatively long and heavy pivot pin '11. The whole weight of the bag. and also the strains to which it is snbjeeteth are trans mitted through the pivot pin. It aerordingly should he made as proof against breal( age as possible.

It is also desired to point out. the loeation of the pivotal axis with elation to the ball eatrh is. This axis is lnlll'i'i the eatrh. a feature that permits the r-h'i\'llll[ of the hail dirertl to the hail post. that dispenses with pivoting the handle rairving soeltet to the top of the bail. and that allows the bail to swing; over the eateh to rover or ant-over it at will.

The partieular form of pivot or swivel mount for the hail may. of eonrse. be varied. For instanee. the pivot may be made integral with the hail post, or the pivot pin might be made in two parts. These are oh vions meehauieal equivalents.

'hile the invention has been deserihed in eonsiderable detail. it should be understood that it is rapable of expression in many other possible forms.

I elaim:

I. In a hand law. the eombination of a pair of frame members, a hail post carried by one of the frame members, a pivot pin earried by the hail post. a hail pivoted on the pivot pin. a flexible handle attarhwl o the hail and a fastening deviee carried by the other frame member and engageabh, with the hail post above the said pivot pin.

2. In a hand bag, the combimition of a pair of frame members. a bail post earrievl by one of the frame members. a pivot pin rarried by the hail post, a hail pivoted on the pivot pin. a socket element; fixed to the bail, a flexible handle mounted in the sorbet. element and a fastenim. device earried by the other frame member and engageable with the bail post at a point above the location of the said pivot pin.

3. In a hand bag. a pair of frame members. a bail post mounted on one of the frame members. a latehing devire mounted on the other frame member. and a bail pivoted to the hail post. the latching (levies. engaging the bail above, the pivotal axis: on \vbieh the bail post is mounted.

4. In a hand bag. the itliltlvltlflf lfl'li of a pair of frame members. a bail post. earned by one of the frame members. a bail pivotml to the bail post. a socket element list-d to the bail. a llexible handle mounted. in the sorta-i; element and a fastening device rarried by the other frame membe' and engaging with the bail post above the pivotal connection of the bail with the bail post.

5. In a hand ha". a pair of frame members. a bail post earried by one of the frame members. a bail pivoted to the bail post. a lateh ('arried by the other frame member and engageable with the bail post above the pivotal eonneetion between the bail and the bail post. the bail being swingable through an art: of about 180 so as to either clear the lateh entirely or to straddle the latr'h and prevent the opening of the bag.

In testimony whereof I atlix my signature.

HARRY BRADLEY lttlilhilt Cit 

